Just for Christmas - Emily Harvale Page 0,15
the kitchen.
‘Call me Vicky, sweetheart. Mrs Warren sounds so old and formal, especially as you’re staying with us. Now come and sit, and tell me, is there a man in your life? And if so, where is he?’
Molly sat on the sofa and Miracle sauntered over and flopped at her feet, eyeing Beauty who was slowly edging over towards the stranger in her midst. Miracle stood up again and he and Beauty sniffed one another as Molly held his lead as tight as she could. Just in case. But Miracle soon curled up at her feet again and Beauty wandered over to Vicky, jumped up next to her on the loveseat and dropped onto Vicky’s lap.
Vicky laughed merrily. ‘She’s done this since the day Chance bought her for me, but she seems to forget that she’s about five times the size she was then. Probably more.’
But Vicky threw an arm around Beauty and cuddled her tightly while she licked Vicky’s face.
‘She clearly adores you,’ Molly said. ‘And in answer to your question, no. There’s no man in my life at the moment.’
Which wasn’t strictly true. There was Chance.
Although he wasn’t hers.
But he was in her life. Very much so, she was just beginning to realise.
She’d have to knock her feelings for him on the head or she’d be starting the New Year with a broken heart.
And she definitely didn’t want that.
Eight
‘I’m so, so sorry about yesterday, Sarah,’ Molly said into her phone as she stretched in the comfort of the guest bed at Vicky’s house. ‘How are you feeling this morning?’
‘Much better thanks. Which is just as well as I need to go and do some Christmas shopping. I’ve got a pair of socks and a few other presents to replace.’
‘Ah. Yes. Sorry about that too. And the ham. And everything really. You’ll be pleased to know – or maybe not, that Miracle also devastated a tree Chance had in his kitchen in the cottage, and peed on it as well. Twice. So it wasn’t just yours. Chance had put it up to make the place feel festive. He’d be better off putting some furniture in there, to be honest, but I guess that’s my job.’
‘I’m not sure that makes me feel any better. Has Miracle wrecked anything at Mrs Warren’s yet?’
‘Surprisingly not. But then again I kept a tight hold of him all evening. He did nearly pull me off a chair while we were having supper, but that was because I’d wrapped his lead around the leg of it and when he tried to dash off after something, he almost took me with him. Chance managed to grab me, the chair and amazingly Miracle too, and saved the day. He spent the night with me, but I tied him to the bed.’
‘Who spent the night with you, tied to the bed? Chance or the dog?’
‘Funny. I wish it had been Chance, but sadly not. And Miracle is currently snoring away beside me. May I go Christmas shopping with you? I’ll pay to replace the stuff Miracle ruined.’
‘Yes, of course you can come. And don’t be so bloody stupid. You don’t need to pay for anything. I’ll tell you what. Buy me a Latte and a mince pie and we’ll call it quits.’
‘Deal.’
‘What time will you be free? I assume you’ll be at the cottage for much of today.’
‘Oh. I suppose I will. I’d forgotten about that.’
Sarah laughed. ‘I wonder about you sometimes, Molly. I’d like to go this morning if possible. It’s still snowing and I don’t want to be coming home in the dark in this weather.’
‘Okay. I’ll ask Chance at breakfast what his plans are and let you know.’
‘Perfect. Oh! I almost forgot. Asher phoned Terry earlier to arrange to meet up for a run. He told Terry he’s met someone! Can you believe it? He met her yesterday. Not long after you’d left his surgery. He was out for a run and he bumped into her. Not literally. She was walking her spaniel and looking in a shop window as he approached. He said he thinks he made her jump. She probably thought he was a mugger or something. He stopped and chatted to her and he told Terry that there was something about her he really liked. He had no idea what, but he felt something. As if she’s going to be important in his life, somehow. He said that when she smiled at him, he felt as if he’d won the lottery. Which